Viruses
‘Covid-19’ is one of the biggest viruses ever to hit the world. It is part of the coronavirus family. It originally comes from animals, from animal markets and now has devastatingly transitioned over to humans and this has impacted the world causing the first lockdown ever in New Zealand and many other countries. This impact doesn’t only affect us physically but it also affects us financially. With most businesses being shut down whilst were in level 4. Only essential workers are able to go out and work.
Using ‘MRS C GREN’ a virus can only reproduce, they don’t contain any other aspects of ‘MRS C GREN’ so therefore a virus isn’t considered a living organism. But on the other hand bacteria is considered a living organism because it contains all features of ‘MRS C GREN’. The virus attaches to the cell wall of the host cell using its tail fibres. It then injects its nucleic acid (DNA) into the host cell. Using the DNA of the host cell, millions of copies of viral DNA are being made. Each viral DNA grows a protein coat whilst the host cells ruptures and releases millions of viral DNA. These new viruses attack other cells adjacent to its old host cell, therefore reproducing. Viruses are too small to collect and then use their own energy, they just steal it from the host cell that they are attacking. But the viruses only need the energy when they make copies of themselves. Viruses make more of themselves if they are living in a host cell but they do not exactly grow.
Pathogens can cause diseases or sicknesses by the cells in your body being damaged from infections. The body can resist these pathogens. The biggest protection is the skin which acts as a strong, waterproof, physical barrier and not many organisms can enter skin that is undamaged. When a virus first inserts its viral DNA into a host cell, it infects it taking over the host cell and its ‘machinery’ in order to produce many copies of the viral DNA. When the host cell eventually ruptures, it bursts and dies. The viral destruction of cells causes disease. The life process of a virus can cause harm to humans by infecting the cell then trying to take over the host. The virus replicates so therefore the host cell produces more viral material than it does normal genetic material, the virus will then carry on and cause death of the host cell and cause illnesses etc… they may also expand to nearby cells and begin the same process again. Viruses are mainly transmitted to other people in droplets that fly out when you cough or sneeze. These tiny drops from a sick person move through the air and land on the mouths or noses of others nearby and then they most likely get infected.
You can prevent this from happening by not sharing food/drinks, coughing and/or sneezing into your elbow (not your hand) because if you cough or sneeze into your hand and you touch somebody that could still transmit the virus. Coughing and sneezing into your elbow is beneficial because you are less likely to touch another person with that part of your body and if you just coughed or sneezed without covering it up it would just fly out into the air and then the whole process of it landing on someone’s face then them getting infected is a possibility. This disrupts its life process by preventing the virus from getting to a new host cell then taking over it, you are suffocating it from its source or reproduction then spreading to a new host cell. Vaccines greatly reduce the risk of infection by working with the body’s natural defenses to safely develop immunity to specific diseases.
Bacteria
Meningitis is an inflammation of the 3 membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord. Some of the symptoms are neck stiffness, vomiting and fatigue. Meningitis can occur when fluid surrounding the meninges becomes infected. Bacterial meningitis gets into your bloodstream from your sinuses, ears, or throat. The bacteria travels through your bloodstream to your brain. This is a potentially deadly disease and it also can cause severe physical pain and it’s not a pleasant time. It affects more than 1 million people worldwide each year and that’s from us not preventing it from spreading.
Bacteria sort of functions the same way as viruses. They double, so one bacteria splits off and becomes two, two becomes four etc… The ‘doubling’ process can occur quicker if the conditions are right (temperature, moisture). Bacteria contains all of the processes form ‘MRS C GREN’ so therefore they can survive and they are considered a living object. The best environment for bacteria to survive is a warm, moist, protein-rich environment that is pH neutral or low acid. There are exceptions (some bacteria thrive in extreme heat or cold).
Infectious bacteria can cause humans to become sick. They reproduce quickly in your body and many give off toxins which can damage tissue and make humans sick. The most harmful part of the bacterias life process is them reproducing, so there are many more to attack your cells. Then there is them releasing toxins which actually causes you to become sick and damages tissue. Bacteria can be transmitted between people in the same ways as viruses. Coughing, sneezing, sharing food etc…
You can prevent this from happening by not sharing sharing food, coughing and/or sneezing into your elbow (same as preventing viruses spreading) this prevents their life cycle to continue because you aren’t letting the bacteria spread to another host cell and again, same as viruses. Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria mutates so that antibiotics don’t work to treat infections. Usually the more often antibiotics are used, the more bacteria adapt/mutate and find new ways to survive, which means they become resistant to antibiotics.
Bibliography covid-19:
COVID-19 coronavirus epidemic has a natural origin — ScienceDaily
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/03/200317175442.htm
https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/NCEA_Level_1_Science/Life_processes#Bacteria
what is the life cycle of a virus – Google Search
Bibliography Meningococcal meningitis:
https://medlineplus.gov/bacterialinfections.html
https://www.healthnavigator.org.nz/medicines/a/antibiotic-resistance/
https://www.extension.iastate.edu/foodsafety/L1.6
https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/NCEA_Level_1_Science/Life_processes#Bacteria
how do bacteria reproduce – Google Search
2020-4-24-1587704362